pleasant and gentle, but hoping that the magpies would come close enough so that he could deliver a pulled punch at them. Truly a singular bird, with both cat and dog characteristics. May 23rd. Extraordinary Behavior of Brownie At a little after 7 A.M. it was noted that all the young thrashers had left the nest, and from the sounds, were being at- tended by their parents. Shortly after Brownie was seen probing with his bill in the bottom of the deserted nest. When I went there he settled into it firmly. It was swarming with Argentine ants and he was watch- ing them and picking one up now and then. Soon they were all over him, even crawling on his eye-balls. He tried to rid himself of these by closing his lids. In one eye there were two ants. I went to his assistance and took him out of the nest using as little force as possible. He resisted and held on to the nest. At last he took hold of my fingers instead with a firm grip. We got rid of most of the ants on him. He assisted by picking them off of my hand, but he pecked me also. He popped back into the nest and the ants were all over him again. This time I could not get him out without hurting him, and he became very angry, pecking me with all his strength and selecting tender places, like the webs between the fingers, to pinch and hold on to. He is a silent fighter. He would not let go and permitted me to do anything I pleased with him rather than leave the nest. I finally lifted him out bodily. (He had never been treated so roughly before). I covered the nest with my other hand before he could get back into it. He straddled that hand, picked ants off of it and peered down around it into the nest. He now became very calm. I withdrew the hand. He immediately settled firmly in the nest. I shook it to dislodge ants and to see if B would get out. "Nothing doing". He intended to stick in that nest whatever might happen to him. I placed another tin of ant poison in a strategical location on the nest and left him. At 8:05 he was still there on guard watching the ants crawl in and out of the interstices in the nest and the poison recept- acle calmly. Most of the ants were now occupied with the latter and he seemed free of them. I came in to write this note. I hear him calling now (8:30) and will go out to have a look at af- fairs. 8:35. He was not at the nest, but discovered me at once and came without hesitation for worms from hand as confidently as ever, my late rough treatment of him having left no sting. He carried the worms off to one of the brood in the fern nearby. Explanation? This incident offers all sorts of ground for speculation, but it seems evident that Brownie's actions were inspired entirely by an instinctive desire to defend the nest and that the departure of the brood was so recent that his mental faculties had not had time to readjust themselves to the new state of affairs, where this protection was no longer essential. It seems to be a case where instinct ruled entirely and the bird's intelligence was not of a high enough order to prevent his engaging in such a futile performance. On the other hand, it might be that he actually remembered his November 1934 experience with ants and was in- spired thereby to battle for his larees and penates, though seems highly improbable. (End of this note). B returns to vacant nest. Ants. All over him. I help him. He resists. Gets angry. Pecks and pinches. Determined not to leave nest. I lift him out. Back again. Still there an hour later. B bears no ill will.